Press Releases - 2009
December
MP Visits Lido Fire (17/12/2009)
Aberavon MP, Dr Hywel Francis, this morning visited the scene of the Afan Lido
fire to thank the staff of the centre and the emergency services for the
prompt and professional action they took last night.
MP welcomes Clean
Air Decision (15/12/2009)
Aberavon MP Dr Hywel Francis has welcomed the European Commission’s decision
to refuse extra time for the UK to achieve its anti-pollution targets.
Dr Hywel Francis
MP welcomes support for pensioners in pre-budget report (09/12/2009)
Dr Hywel Francis MP for Aberavon welcomed the Pre-Budget Report and the Government’s
continuing support for pensioners and the announcement of a 2.5% increase in
the basic state pension.
Dr Hywel Francis
MP is a parliamentary friend of The Anthony Nolan Trust (09/12/2009)
Aberavon MP Dr Hywel Francis showed his support for those needing lifesaving
bone marrow transplants on Tuesday 8 December by becoming a parliamentary friend
of The Anthony Nolan Trust.
MP and AM Call
for Public Inquiry (08/12/2009)
Aberavon’s MP Dr Hywel Francis and its AM, Dr Brian Gibbons have jointly called
for a public inquiry into the plans for the wind farms at the head of the Afan
Valley.
November
MP backs British
Legion Manifesto (27/11/2009)
Aberavon MP Dr Hywel Francis has given his full backing to the Royal British
Legion’s General Election Manifesto.
MP’s success in
rail campaign (12/11/2009)
Aberavon MP Dr Hywel Francis has claimed a significant progress in his campaign
to improve access to Port Talbot Parkway railway station today for people with
disabilities and other rail users.
October
Energy Minister
Praises Young People’s 'Green' ideas (24/10/2009)
Energy Minister, Ed Miliband MP on a recent visit to Port Talbot praised local
young people and the local steel plant for enthusiastically embracing green
ideas and green strategies.
Community Hero
welcomed in 10 Downing Street (19/10/2009)
Aberavon MP, Dr Hywel Francis escorted Julie Dawkins from the Gateway Club
in Port Talbot to No. 10 Downing street to meet the Prime Minister, Gordon
Brown MP and Sarah Brown.
Dr Hywel Francis,
Aberavon MP warns: “Don’t write off people with autism” (15/10/2009)
Dr Hywel Francis MP is backing a National Autistic Society (NAS) campaign to
stop adults with autism being written-off by the employment and benefits system.
MP Hails Rail
Petition Success (05/10/2009)
Aberavon MP, Dr Hywel Francis has been overwhelmed by the public support for
his petition to improve public access to Port Talbot Railway Station.
September
MP Welcomes Child
Trust Fund Payments for 7 Year Olds (29/09/2009)
Dr Hywel Francis MP has welcomed the first payments made this month to 7 year
olds through the Child Trust Fund.
MP thanks Guardian
for its community service (25/09/2009)
Aberavon MP, Dr Hywel Francis has issued a statement thanking the Neath Port
Talbot Guardian and its journalists for its service to local communities.
MP welcomes Peace
Day (23/09/2009)
Aberavon MP, Dr Hywel Francis has welcomed the recent International Day of
Peace and Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s proposed peace initiative at the United
Nations.
MP Demands Better
Access to Rail Station (22/09/2009)
Aberavon MP, Dr Hywel Francis is launching a campaign to improve the access
to Port Talbot Railway Station.
MP Praises
Local School (22/09/2009)
Aberavon MP, Dr Hywel Francis has recently visited Dyffryn Comprehensive School
in Port Talbot and has praised the high standards achieved by staff and pupils.
MP praises Help
Centre (18/09/2009)
Aberavon MP Dr Hywel Francis recently visited the new Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation
Centre in Port Talbot.
MP concerned about
the benefits system and carers (09/09/2009)
Aberavon MP and Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Carers’ Group, Dr Hywel
Francis has expressed his concern regarding the vulnerable position carers
are facing because of the confusing and complex system in accessing state benefits
and employment support to which they are entitled.
MP Rejects Government’s
Power Plant Decision (04/09/2009)
Aberavon MP Dr Hywel Francis has expressed his disappointment with the Government’s
decision to reject Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council’s request to revisit
the planning permission regarding the proposed biomass power plant at Port
Talbot Docks.
August
Dr Hywel Francis
MP says "Never Again" (03/08/2009)
In the 80s and 90s, long term youth unemployment went up and up. During these
tough times Aberavon MP Dr Hywel Francis is determined that we don't lose a
generation of our young people to unemployment or lost opportunity because
of the global recession.
July
Changing Places
toilets available in the UK (15/07/2009)
Dr Hywel Francis MP joined Mencap and the 11 times Paralympic gold medallist
Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson to call for an increase in the number of Changing
Places toilets available in the UK.
MP Visits Local
Primary School (09/07/2009)
Aberavon MP Dr Hywel Francis recently visited Ynysmaerdy Primary School to
talk about his work in Parliament.
MP visits Centenarian (07/07/2009)
Aberavon MP, Dr Hywel Francis recently paid a visit to Mrs Minnie Aitken of
George Street, Port Talbot, who celebrated her 100th birthday.
Aberavon Politicians
on Memory Walk (07/07/2009)
Aberavon MP Dr Hywel Francis recently attended the Memory Walk on Aberavon
Promenade to raise funds for the Alzheimer’s Society.
June
MP welcomes Armed
Forces Day (28/06/2009)
Aberavon MP Dr Hywel Francis has welcomed the Government’s decision to hold
the first ever Armed Forces Day and praised the Prime Minister’s initiative
to welcome veterans to Downing Street recently.
MP welcomes carers’
support (12/06/2009)
Vice-President of carers UK Aberavon MP Dr Hywel Francis has welcomed a new
service for carers in Neath and Port Talbot.
MP praises winning
Quins (10/06/2009)
Aberavon MP Dr Hywel Francis recently attended the Aberavon Harlequins Celebration
Dinner at Dylan’s in Cwmavon to congratulate the Club and all their players
on the most outstanding season in their history.
Aberavon MP welcomes
the return of the South Wales Boat Show (09/06/2009)
I would like to extend a warm welcome to everyone who takes a visit to this
year’s South Wales Boat Show at Margam.
Aberavon MP supports
Usdaw’s National Spotlight Day: helping working parents claim benefits
they are due (05/06/2009)
Dr
Hywel Francis MP today gave support to the shop-workers’ union Usdaw’s
National Spotlight Day to highlight the Benefits due to working parents
and to give renewed support to the pledge to end child poverty by 2020.
Aberavon MP
Calls for Recognition for Local Carers (05/06/2009)
Aberavon MP, Dr Hywel Francis, sponsor of the successful 2004 Equal Opportunities
Act, is backing this year’s Carers Week (8-14 June) in support of local carers,
who are among the 6 million people in the UK who provide unpaid care for a
loved one who is frail, ill or disabled.
Aberavon MP Lends
His Support to 'Time to Get Equal Week' (03/06/2009)
Dr Hywel Francis has given his backing to Time to Get Equal Week, Monday 8th
- Sunday 14th June.
May
Local MP calls
for greater recognition for the UK’s six million carers (22/05/2009)
Dr Hywel Francis has teamed up with TV and radio presenter Jonathan Dimbleby
to support this year’s Carers Week (8-14 June), and celebrate the contribution
made by those people in Aberavon and throughout the UK who provide unpaid care
for someone who is ill, frail or disabled.
Aberavon MP Welcomes
National Minimum Wage Rise (21/05/2009)
It has been ten years since Labour introduced the National Minimum Wage here
in the UK. It is easy to forget how groundbreaking its introduction was.
MP to meet constituents (20/05/2009)
It is my intention to publish all my expenses as early as is legally possible,
once the Parliamentary authorities have cleared them.
Aberavon MP Keen
to Help Tackle Problems Faced by Mobile Phone Users (19/05/2009)
Local MP, Dr Hywel Francis is working with new consumer rights champion, ‘Consumer
Focus’ to challenge problems encountered by mobile phone users.
MPs press Prime
Minister on carers' benefits (06/05/2009)
This afternoon a delegation of MPs met Prime Minister Gordon Brown to urge
him to make improvements to carers’ benefits. Carers UK also attended the meeting
and presented carers’ concerns directly to the Prime Minister.
April
MP supports ten
years of the National Minimum Wage (21/04/2009)
Dr Hywel Francis MP for Aberavon has given his support to the celebration of
the tenth birthday of the Labour Government’s introduction of the National
Minimum Wage.
MP Praises Epilepsy
Group (02/04/2009)
Port Talbot Epilepsy Group has been successful in obtaining a grant of £5,000
from Awards for All (Wales) Fund to help towards a summer holiday for members
of the Group.
March
MP Praises Firefighters (27/03/2009)
Aberavon MP Hywel Francis visited the scene of the major fire at the Baglan
Industrial Park to thank the firefighters for their prompt and professional
action in dealing with what could have been a very serious incident.
Aberavon MP Visits
Thriving Kenfig Plastics Company (24/03/2009)
Aberavon MP Dr Hywel Francis, recently visited the Plastic Packaging Company,
RPC Tedeco-Gizeh at the Kenfig Industrial Estate.
MP claims victory
for local visually impaired people (17/03/2009)
Dr Hywel Francis MP has claimed victory in his campaign to get more support
to local people who are visually impaired.
MP backs No Smoking
Day! (02/03/2009)
Aberavon MP Dr Hywel Francis is supporting the National No Smoking Day for
March 11th by urging community and individual initiatives to encourage the
quitting of smoking.
February
Aberavon MP Backs
New Autism Law (25/02/2009)
Dr Hywel Francis MP has brought the first ever autism law a step closer for
local people affected by the condition, by supporting a Bill currently going
through Parliament.
MP Praises Local
Company on Successful Business Contract (17/02/2009)
Dr Hywel Francis MP recently visited cable manufacturer, Excel Assemblies based
at Baglan Moors, to congratulate them on securing a contract to provide complex
wiring systems as part of Bombardier's contract for 1,738 new underground cars
on the Jubilee Line of the London Underground.
MP Backs Clean
Air Charter (13/02/2009)
Aberavon MP Dr Hywel Francis, who has campaigned for a local Clean Air Charter,
today backed Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council's 'Clean Air Charter'.
MP Visits Successful
Port Talbot Company (13/02/2009)
Dr Hywel Francis MP has recently been visiting local companies and businesses
to gauge the impact of the current economic downturn.
Aberavon MP Urges
Small Firms to Sign Up For Government Contracts (10/02/2009)
Dr Hywel Francis MP is encouraging small firms in Aberavon to sign up to the
Government's Supply2.gov.uk website and to take advantage of the thousands
of Government contracts available.
Aberavon MP Calls
for Celebration of Community Respect and Tolerance (09/02/2009)
Aberavon MP, Dr Hywel Francis, has called on local churches, businesses and
community organisations to join a public campaign to celebrate our cultural
and community diversity and to oppose racial intolerance.
Aberavon MP Welcomes
Support Package for Businesses and Households in Wales (06/02/2009)
Dr Hywel Francis MP has welcomed the Government's introduction of a number
of measures to offer assistance to businesses and citizens in light of the
current economic situation.
Aberavon MP urges
Community Organisations to enter £6 million award as deadline draws near (04/02/2009)
Dr Hywel Francis MP is today supporting community organisations in Aberavon
by encouraging them to enter a major new initiative for not-for-profit organisations.
January
Aberavon MP Welcomes
£60 Cash Bonus for Local Pensioners (29/01/2009)
Dr Hywel Francis today welcomed a new £60 cash boost for pensioners in his
Aberavon constituency which will be paid with their pension.
Community
Leader at Number 10 (28/01/2009)
Aberavon MP Dr Hywel Francis has recently visited Number Ten Downing Street
at the invitation of the Prime Minister along with a community leader Saifur
Rahman of Port Talbot.
Aberavon MP welcomes
local Olympic success (28/01/2009)
Aberavon MP Dr Hywel Francis who is chair of the Welsh Affairs Committee has
congratulated Rhino Doors of Port Talbot on winning an Olympic contract.
MP calls for action
to support steel communities (26/01/2009)
Aberavon MP Dr Hywel Francis has urged joint Government, Employers and Union
action to support steel workers, their families and their communities following
the announcement of 2500 job losses in the British steel industry.
Aberavon MP signs
Holocaust Book of Commitment (16/01/2009)
Dr Hywel Francis MP recently showed his commitment to Holocaust Memorial Day
by signing a Book of Commitment in the House of Commons, in honour of those
who perished in the Holocaust.
Aberavon MP asks
constituents to 'Stand up to Hatred' (14/01/2009)
Today, Dr Hywel Francis MP showed his commitment to Holocaust Memorial Day
by signing a Book of Commitment in the House of Commons to honour those who
perished in the Holocaust.
Aberavon MP Pledges
Support for Children's Charity (01/01/2009)
Dr. Hywel Francis, MP for Aberavon, recently joined staff and volunteers of
the charity React (Rapid Effective Assistance for Children with potentially
Terminal illness) at a drop-in session, hosted by MP Susan Kramer, at the House
of Commons in Westminster.
